Question 1
Define the term perspective.
[2]
Question 2
A proposal would prohibit harvesting shellfish from part of a coastline. A fisher opposes the proposal because the household depends on shellfish income. A local religious leader supports it because the coastline is regarded as sacred. A marine scientist supports it after recording a decline in shellfish abundance.
Identify three different factors shaping the perspectives described in the scenario.
[3]
Question 3
State two inputs and two outputs of an environmental value system.
[4]
Question 4
A drinks company advertises that it “puts the planet first”. However, its annual purchasing records show increasing use of non-reusable plastic bottles because these have the lowest production cost.
Distinguish between the value priority communicated by the company and the value priority indicated by its action.
[2]
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Question 5
Three responses to declining groundwater levels are proposed.
- Construct desalination plants and use sensor-controlled irrigation.
- Regulate extraction so that communities retain a reliable long-term water supply.
- Prohibit further extraction because wetlands have intrinsic value.
Identify the environmental perspective most clearly represented by each response.
[3]
Question 6
A coastal authority surveyed three social groups about a proposal to establish a permanent no-take marine reserve.
Identify the social group with the greatest combined support for the proposed reserve.
[1]
Calculate the difference, in percentage points, between the combined opposition of fishing households and tourism workers. Show your working.
[2]
Explain how different priorities may account for the tension between fishing households and tourism workers shown in Figure 1.
[3]
Question 7
Figure 2 shows how two residents respond to information about declining fish stocks.
State one input received by both residents.
[1]
Identify the environmental perspective most clearly shown by each resident.
[2]
Explain why the same inputs result in different outputs for the two residents.
[3]
Question 8
A government is considering three strategies for managing environmental impacts from copper production. One community representative, Mara, has also stated her position.
Identify the environmental perspective most clearly represented by each strategy.
[3]
Explain how Mara's position demonstrates that the three categories are not exclusive.
[2]
Suggest one limitation of classifying Mara using only one environmental perspective.
[1]
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Question 9
Explain how the scientific discovery of severe seasonal ozone depletion over Antarctica contributed to the development of the environmental movement.
[3]
Question 10
A survey records each respondent's agreement with the statement “ecosystems should be protected for their own sake” on a five-point Likert scale. It also records willingness to reduce meat consumption on a five-point Likert scale.
Identify a suitable statistical test for investigating the association between the two variables and justify your answer.
[2]
Question 11
The regional government of Maruva proposes restoring the degraded Luma wetland. The project would restrict grazing in the proposed protected core, create tourism employment and improve flood regulation.
Identify the stakeholder group with the greatest support for the restoration project.
[1]
Calculate the difference, in percentage points, between support among conservation-organization members and support among wetland-edge livestock farmers.
[2]
Explain how two factors shaping perspectives could account for the lower support among wetland-edge livestock farmers.
[3]
Distinguish between an anthropocentric and an ecocentric justification for restoring the wetland.
[2]
Evaluate whether the regional government should proceed with the restoration project in its proposed form.
[4]
Question 12
In 2022, the municipality of Abeni introduced a campaign to reduce household food waste. The campaign used school lessons, social-media messages and free kitchen-waste measuring containers.
Describe the change in reported meal planning between 2018 and 2026.
[2]
Calculate the percentage increase in households reporting meal planning between 2022 and 2025.
[2]
Explain how the campaign could have changed household perspectives and actions concerning food waste.
[3]
Evaluate the claim that the municipal campaign caused the change shown in Figure 1.
[4]
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Question 13
A beverage company states that environmental responsibility is one of its core values. Figure 3 compares its communication with selected actions over four years.
State the value communicated by the company's advertisement.
[1]
Calculate the ratio of spending on environmental advertising to spending on wastewater-treatment upgrades.
[2]
Analyse whether the company's actions support its communicated environmental value.
[3]
Question 14
A city recorded the percentage of surveyed adults who regularly travelled by lower-impact transport. A public campaign began in January 2021.
Describe the change in regular use of lower-impact transport from 2017 to 2025.
[2]
Calculate the percentage increase in regular use between 2020 and 2024. Show your working.
[2]
Analyse why Figure 6 does not demonstrate that the public campaign alone caused the change in behaviour.
[3]
Question 15
A student designs an online values survey about a proposed charge on disposable cups. The survey is distributed only through the school's environmental club.
Identify two limitations of the survey design or sampling method.
[2]
Outline two changes that would improve the investigation.
[2]
Question 16
Distinguish between a worldview and a perspective.
[2]
Explain one way social media may broaden perspectives and one way it may reinforce existing perspectives.
[2]
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Question 17
A coastal-energy policy uses automated monitoring to reduce bird collisions with wind turbines. It provides compensation and employment training for affected fishing communities and designates nearby nesting islands as permanent exclusion zones because the species living there are considered valuable in their own right.
Identify one feature of the policy associated with each of the three broad environmental perspectives.
[3]
Outline one limitation of assigning the whole policy to a single environmental-perspective category.
[1]
Question 18
A city surveyed the percentage of residents who regularly travelled by bicycle or public transport. A lower-impact transport campaign began at the start of 2021.
Describe the change in lower-impact transport use shown by the graph.
[2]
Suggest two reasons why the graph does not demonstrate that the campaign caused the change.
[2]
Question 19
A company proposes constructing the Neris offshore wind farm near a coastal fishing community. Four organizations published statements and took actions during the planning process.
Statements and actions of organizations involved in the Neris offshore wind farm planning process.
| Energy company | Fishers' cooperative | Coastal tourism association | Marine conservation NGO |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public statement: Clean energy with minimal ecological impact. | Public statement: Support renewable energy if livelihoods are protected. | Public statement: The coast should remain attractive to visitors. | Public statement: Marine habitats have intrinsic value. |
| Action: Requests approval for 70 turbines. | Action: Proposes a turbine-free fishing corridor. | Action: Funds a visual-impact legal challenge. | Action: Requests a smaller development and a seasonal construction ban. |
Predicted outcomes for the original and revised Neris offshore wind-farm plans.
| Plan | Electricity / GWh yr | Electricity / GWh yr | Direct jobs | Seabed disturbed / km | Fishing-area overlap / % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Original plan | 70 | 420 | 160 | 14 | 38 |
| Revised plan | 52 | 335 | 145 | 7 | 12 |
Identify two organizations whose actions indicate that they support renewable energy development under some conditions.
[2]
Explain two tensions between the values of the organizations shown in Figure 1.
[3]
Analyse how the organizations' actions provide evidence of their values beyond their public statements.
[3]
Discuss whether the revised 52-turbine plan provides an appropriate resolution to the value tensions.
[4]
Question 20
Residents of Talin received the same scientific report about high concentrations of traffic-related air pollutants. Their responses differed.
Figure 2. Talin residents received the same traffic-air-pollution report but have different circumstances and responses.
| Profile | Personal circumstances | Response to air pollution |
|---|---|---|
| A | Has asthma | Supports a low-emission zone |
| B | Drives to night shifts | Opposes restrictions unless public transport improves |
| C | Can purchase an electric car | Supports electric-vehicle charging infrastructure |
| D | Cycles | Supports less road space for cars; values clean air and urban wildlife despite economic costs |
State two outputs of an environmental value system shown in Figure 1.
[2]
Explain why Profiles A and B may reach different positions despite receiving the same scientific report.
[3]
Classify the environmental perspective most clearly represented by each of Profiles B, C and D.
[3]
Evaluate the usefulness of the environmental value system model for explaining the four responses.
[4]
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Question 21
Students investigated whether stronger belief in the intrinsic value of a forest was associated with greater support for banning road construction through the forest. For both variables, rank 1 represents the strongest belief or greatest support, and rank 8 represents the weakest belief or least support. The ranked results and sampling information are shown in Figure 5.
Use the formula:
Figure 5: Ranked survey responses and sampling information.
| Respondent | Intrinsic value rank (1 = strongest; 8 = weakest) | Road-ban support rank (1 = greatest; 8 = least) | Difference, | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 2 | -1 | 1 |
| 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | 6 | 7 | -1 | 1 |
| 7 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 1 |
| 8 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | — | — | — | 4 |
| Sampling information | Anonymous online questionnaire | Posted only in a forest-conservation club | 8 of 240 members completed | Residents without internet access were not contacted |
Calculate Spearman's rank correlation coefficient, , for the two variables. Show your working.
[3]
Interpret the relationship indicated by the calculated value of .
[2]
Evaluate whether the survey results can be generalized to all residents of the region.
[3]
Question 22
Researchers assigned social-media users to one of three feed designs for eight weeks. They measured exposure to different environmental worldviews and change in support for a proposed carbon charge.
Mean values for users assigned to each feed design. Higher worldview-diversity scores indicate exposure to a wider range of environmental worldviews.
| Feed design | Diversity score, week 0 | Diversity score, week 8 | Carbon charge change / pp |
|---|---|---|---|
| Personalized | 3.1 | 2.0 | |
| Chronological | 3.1 | 3.4 | |
| Cross-viewpoint | 3.1 | 4.2 |
Compare the changes in worldview-diversity score for the personalized and cross-viewpoint feeds.
[2]
Explain how the personalized feed may reinforce an existing environmental perspective.
[2]
Analyse why the results do not justify classifying every user in one fixed worldview category.
[3]
Question 23
Figures 8(a) and 8(b) show influences on the development of an environmental movement in the fictional Lake Aruna region.
Identify the categories of influence represented by the events in 2017 and 2020.
[2]
Calculate the percentage increase in the membership index between 2015 and 2019. Show your working.
[2]
Explain how two of the influences shown in Figure 8(a) could have contributed to the increase in membership after 2015.
[2]
Suggest why the figures do not prove that any single influence caused the increase in membership.
[2]
Question 24
Researchers identify that a persistent industrial chemical causes severe eggshell thinning in a coastal bird. News reports and a documentary communicate the findings nationally. An environmental organization then coordinates public petitions, after which the government restricts the chemical.
Explain how the different influences in the scenario contributed to the development of environmental action.
[4]
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Question 25
The city of Ordan surveyed residents about a proposed congestion charge. Respondents rated the statement, “A congestion charge is acceptable if revenue is used to improve public transport.”
Survey responses to the congestion-charge statement; each transport-user group contains 200 respondents.
| Response category | Daily car commuters () | Regular public-transport users () |
|---|---|---|
| Strongly disagree | 30% | 8% |
| Disagree | 25% | 10% |
| Neutral | 15% | 12% |
| Agree | 20% | 35% |
| Strongly agree | 10% | 35% |
Calculate how many more public-transport users than daily car commuters agreed or strongly agreed with the statement.
[2]
Describe the association between transport use and attitude towards the congestion charge.
[2]
Identify a suitable statistical test for determining whether transport-user category is associated with response category, and justify your choice.
[2]
Evaluate the design of the values survey.
[4]
Evaluate whether the city should use the survey results to justify introducing the congestion charge.
[4]
Question 26
Researchers investigated whether social-media information influenced perspectives on reintroducing wolves to the fictional Ravan Highlands. Participants completed the same attitude scale before and after viewing one of two curated feeds.
Describe the change in mean support for wolf reintroduction in each feed group.
[2]
Calculate the difference between the two groups' mean support scores after viewing the feeds.
[2]
Explain how the two feeds may have shaped different perspectives on wolf reintroduction.
[3]
Evaluate the usefulness of classifying the two feeds as ecocentric and anthropocentric.
[3]
Evaluate the conclusion that social-media algorithms will polarize the wider population's perspectives on wolf reintroduction.
[3]
Question 27
The country of Bellara experienced several influences on public concern about pesticide pollution between 2008 and 2022.
Describe the overall relationship between public concern and broad-spectrum pesticide sales from 2008 to 2022.
[2]
Calculate the percentage decrease in broad-spectrum pesticide sales between 2008 and 2022.
[2]
Explain how the scientific study and the fish-kill disaster could have influenced the development of Bellara's environmental movement.
[3]
Compare the roles of the television investigation and precision-spraying technology in the environmental movement.
[3]
Evaluate the evidence that the influences shown caused the decline in pesticide sales.
[4]
Question 28
A regional authority proposes the phased relocation of a settlement from a flood-prone delta. Climate projections indicate increasing flood risk. Some residents support relocation, while others oppose it because of cultural ties, livelihoods and concerns about compensation.
Explain the relationship between values, perspectives and arguments in environmental decision-making.
[4]
Explain how different factors could lead residents to contrasting perspectives on the proposed relocation.
[7]
Using named examples, discuss the claim that environmental disagreements can be resolved by providing more scientific information.
[9]
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Question 29
A clothing retailer promotes a textile take-back scheme and states that environmental responsibility is central to its business. At the same time, it increases the number of low-cost clothing collections released each year.
Outline the components of an environmental value system.
[4]
Explain how the retailer's communication and actions may reveal tensions within its environmental value system.
[7]
Using named examples, evaluate the usefulness of organizational communication and action as evidence of environmental values.
[9]
Question 30
Outline four ways in which different influences may contribute to the development of an environmental movement.
[4]
Explain how scientific discovery, media communication, public participation, law and technology may interact to produce environmental change.
[7]
Using named examples, evaluate the relative importance of different influences in developing environmental movements.
[9]
Question 31
The island municipality of Selka must choose a response to increasing seasonal water scarcity. Three proposals were presented to residents.
Comparison of three proposed strategies to address seasonal water scarcity in Selka.
| Proposal | Main measures | Water effect / million L day | Cost / million currency units | Other effects |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| T | Solar-powered desalination plant | Additional supply: 18 | 96 | Uses 42 ha of coastal land; discharges concentrated brine |
| A | Metering, tiered prices and leak repair | Water saved: 11 | 18 | Network leakage reduced from 27% to 12%; savings may not be additive with E |
| E | Catchment restoration and seasonal extraction limit | Reliable supply increased: 7 | 24 | Restores 1600 ha of habitat; permitted agricultural extraction reduced by 20%; is nominally 18 only if effects are additive and comparable; water deficit is not stated |
Calculate the number of urban-household respondents who supported Proposal A.
[2]
Classify each proposal according to the environmental perspective it most clearly represents. Justify each classification.
[3]
Explain why the classification in part (b) does not mean that each proposal represents only one perspective.
[3]
Analyse the extent to which the survey data reveal the values and interests of the four groups.
[3]
Evaluate which proposal, or combination of proposals, the municipality should adopt.
[4]
Question 32
A national transport agency investigates perspectives on a proposed restriction on short-haul flights. It distributes an optional online questionnaire through an airline's booking application. Respondents rate both their concern about climate change and their support for the restriction on five-point Likert scales. Follow-up interviews are offered to a small number of volunteers.
Outline three features that distinguish a values survey from an informal collection of opinions.
[3]
Analyse the strengths and limitations of the evidence produced by the agency's investigation.
[8]
Using named examples, evaluate the role that values surveys should play in decisions about environmental policy.
[9]
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Question 33
Explain why a worldview and an individual perspective are related but not equivalent.
[4]
Explain how internet and social-media use may both broaden environmental perspectives and reinforce existing positions.
[7]
Using named examples, to what extent are communication campaigns more influential than lived experience, economic conditions and social change in altering environmental perspectives?
[9]
Question 34
A city plans to restore a channelized urban river. The plan uses automated water-quality controls, creates riverside recreation and flood protection for residents, and establishes habitat zones from which people are excluded because native species are considered valuable in their own right.
Explain the three broad categories used to classify environmental perspectives.
[4]
Analyse how the river-restoration plan demonstrates the overlap and context dependence of environmental-perspective categories.
[7]
Using named examples, to what extent do models that classify environmental perspectives improve environmental decision-making?
[9]
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